Drug Abuse In Residential Schools

The story you have just heard is not fictional. In fact, the vast majority of residential school alumni have either: died—through homicide or suicide; turned to drug abuse; or at the very least, have been utterly distressed. More importantly, these schools were actually built, and managed, by the Canadian government. With this being said, it becomes quite clear how this would pertain to me, and any other decent human being, so I should just stop here, right? Actually, no—there is much more to it than that, I am afraid.

Residential schools are unbelievably important to me, because, for approximately one hundred years, they traumatized nearly every single student. Whether it was through stolen rights, various levels of abuse, and/or stolen

The first right that was neglected was the right to be free from arbitrary detention. This right was abused the second the government declared that they would be apprehending children from their homes, to bring them to residential schools. Could you imagine, being compelled to attend a school that is hundreds of kilometers away from your home, without even being informed as to why? Or better yet, could you imagine perceiving your parents as powerless individuals, from the tender age of three or four-years-old? Thankfully, I can say, with confidence, that every single one of you was saved that horrid experience, and will luckily grow up unaffected by the government’s passed transgressions. The second right that was infringed upon was the right to life, liberty, and security of person. In other words, by creating these institutions, the government was openly challenging the psychological integrity—and independence—of each and every residential school student. It is a certainty that the constant reproval of one’s independence can act as a catalyst towards their insanity. So, by constantly treating these children like savages, the residential school staff members were, effectively, causing the students to adapt to that state

Each variant of abuse affected individuals in different manners. To begin, the majority of the students were physically beaten on regular occasions as punishment for their “wrongdoings.” As a result of the constant beatings, the victims would typically grow up as defiant individuals, whom lack empathy for authoritative figures. In addition, they would become more prone to get into altercations. Furthermore, the students at these institutions were taught in a manipulative system. This would cause the students to become very suspicious—always questioning the legitimacy of different ideas. That is to say, children who were brought up in residential schools usually had a large range of trust issues, and consequently, lacked compassion for others. Finally, a disturbing quantity of students—both male and female—were raped by nuns and priests. You could only imagine the kind of impact that could have on an individual. Some students were considered lucky, if it only happened once, for many children were raped constantly, and some were even impregnated by their abuser. However, the individuals who did not commit suicide, usually grew up to be very vengeful, and fighters for rights. Given these points, it is understood how different types of abuse shaped individuals in different